Hybrid and multicloud architectures give IT, network, and cybersecurity personnel the capabilities to manage applications and assets on premises, in a cloud, or in multiple clouds. As organizations seek a greater mix of public, private, and hybrid cloud, new tools will be needed to drive management and automation of these hybrid environments. This will be especially important with the advent of artificial intelligence (AI), which requires collecting and managing data from many different platforms and sources.

Additional drivers of hybrid cloud include digital transformation projects, hybrid work arrangements, automation, and data analytics for both AI and machine learning (ML). Data can reside anywhere. More than ever, organizations want to connect and integrate multiple resources in the cloud and on premises. But this task isn’t simple. The shift to hybrid and multicloud means not only more options, it also means managing pitfalls such as costs, security, and data governance – just to name a few of the challenges.

Leading companies included in this report: Aviatrix, CAST AI, CloudBolt, Flexera, IBM (Turbonomic), Kentik, Morpheus, Itential, Nutanix, Platform9, Prosimo, Snow Software, Qumulo, Virtana, VMware, UBiqube, Wasabi, Yotascale, Zesty)